Booking Holdings Is a Net-Cash-Rich, Free-Cash-Flow Generating Powerhouse!

Image: Booking Holdings remains an asset-light, free-cash-flow generating powerhouse. By Brian Nelson, CFA On November 2, Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio holding Booking Holdings (BKNG) reported excellent third-quarter results with revenue advancing 21.3% and non-GAAP earnings per share coming in ahead of the consensus forecast. People around the world continue to book travel and accommodations as pent-up demand from the COVID-19 pandemic continues to showcase itself in Booking Holdings’ results. Gross travel bookings advanced 24% (21% on a constant-currency basis) in the quarter on a year-over-year basis, and the firm converted this strong demand into a 51% increase in net income. We like the asset-light, free-cash-flow generating nature of Booking Holdings, and we continue to believe it belongs in the Best … Read more

Best Idea Booking Holdings Soars!

Image: Booking Holdings’ free cash flow conversion is about as good as it gets. The company remains a key idea in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio. Image Source: Booking Holdings By Brian Nelson, CFA We initiated a position in Booking Holdings (BKNG) in the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio in June due in part to its extremely attractive valuation at that time, of which we highlighted graphically in this April 19 note. Booking Holdings’ price-to-fair value disconnect was rather large back in April following a huge fair value estimate increase around that time. Shares of the company have now surged past our fair value estimate of $3,164, as indicated in post-market trading following its fantastic second-quarter 2023 results, and we’re sticking … Read more

Chinese Stocks Bludgeoned!

Image: Large cap Chinese equities are now back to levels first reached more than 15 years ago on a price-only basis, to levels first attained in early 2006. By Brian Nelson, CFA Successful investing is as much about selecting big winners such as Exxon Mobil (XOM) and Chevron (CVX) as it is about avoiding big losers – and wow have Chinese stocks been bludgeoned! The iShares China Large-Cap ETF (FXI) traded down nearly 10% on October 24, 2022, putting its 5-year declines at a whopping 50%+, on a price-only basis. The FXI is now back to levels, on a price-only basis, first reached at the beginning of 2006, more than 15 years ago. We don’t include any Chinese ADRs in … Read more

Valuentum: Outlook for Europe, China Is Bleak

Video: Valuentum’s Associate Director of Research and Co-Portfolio Manager of the simulated newsletter portfolios, Callum Turcan, shares his thoughts about the global economy. Europe is facing considerable pressure from energy prices, while China may face a mortgage meltdown. Join Valuentum for this brief 6 minute video to get up to speed on the goings-on of the global economy and what troubles may be lurking ahead. –——— Brian Nelson owns shares in SPY, SCHG, QQQ, DIA, VOT, BITO, and IWM. Valuentum owns SPY, SCHG, QQQ, VOO, and DIA. Brian Nelson’s household owns shares in HON, DIS, HAS, NKE. Some of the other securities written about in this article may be included in Valuentum’s simulated newsletter portfolios. Contact Valuentum for more information … Read more

Chinese Stocks Getting Hammered

Image shown: A confluence of factors are driving Chinese stocks lower, not the least of which is heightened regulatory concerns. By Brian Nelson, CFA The collapse in Chinese equities (FXI) (MCHI) during the trading session July 26 is a reminder (again) why you should consider combining momentum with *enterprise valuation* in stocks, as in the Valuentum process. It’s not enough for you to think a stock is undervalued or cheap. The market must agree with you, too. A falling stock price says the market disagrees. Our favorite ideas for consideration are always in the newsletter portfolios, whether the Best Ideas Newsletter portfolio, Dividend Growth Newsletter portfolio, or High Yield Dividend Newsletter portfolio. We do not have any direct exposure to … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week March 4

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending March 4. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week      Acushnet (GOLF): now $0.18 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.17. American Financial (AFG): now $2.00 per share special dividend, was $0.56. Barclays (BCS): now GPB 0.04 per share dividend, was GPB 0.02. Best Buy (BBY): now $0.88 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.70. Black Diamond Group (BDIMF): now CAD 0.015 per share quarterly dividend, was CAD 0.013. Blackhawk Bancorp (BHWB): now $0.12 per share quarterly dividend, … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of December 22

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending December 22. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week                          BDO Unibank, Inc. (BDOUY): now $0.0852 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.0847. Beaver Coal Company (BVERS): now $115.00 per share quarterly dividend, was $90.00. Big Banc Split Corp. (TSX:BNK:CA): now CAD 0.12 per share monthly dividend, was CAD 0.0662. Britvic plc (BTVCY): now $0.5477 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.1830. Calvin B. Taylor Bankshares (TYCB): now $0.40 per share special dividend, was $0.34. China … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of July 26

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending July 26. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week                          1st Source (SRCE): now $0.36 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.34. Artisan Partners Asset Management (APAM): now $0.71 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.61. AstraZeneca (AZN): now $1.000 per share interim dividend, was $0.985. Bank of America (BAC): now $0.26 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.24. Bank7 (BSVN): now $0.24 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.21. British American Tobacco (BTI): now 58.88p per share … Read more

Dividend Increases/Decreases for the Week of August 16

Below we provide a list of firms that raised their dividends during the week ending August 16. The dividend reports of covered firms on this list will be updated shortly with the new information. To access our dividend reports use the ‘Symbol’ search box in our website header. Firms Raising Their Dividends This Week                          Aimia Inc. CUM RATE SER 4 (AIM.PR.D:CA): now CAD 0.5701 per share quarterly dividend. Aimia Inc. CUM RT PFD SER 3 (AIM.PR.C:CA): now CAD 0.4858 per share quarterly dividend. Anglo American plc (NGLOY): now $0.194 per share semi-annual dividend, was $0.186. ARCA biopharma (ABIO): now $1.59 per share special dividend. Badger Meter (BMI): now $0.34 per share quarterly dividend, was $0.27. Banco Macro (BMA): … Read more